Overview

This NIOSH Topic Page is intended to provide useful information for workers, employers, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders interested in learning more about work-related factors involved with prescription drug overdose prevention.

Prescription drug abuse and overdoses are a major public health concern. Drug poisoning deaths involving opioid analgesics in particular have more than tripled since 1999, with more than 16,000 deaths in 2013 alone. The CDC has been focused on boosting resources for State prevention efforts in conjunction with other Federal efforts to help States expand and intensify their work to address this growing problem.

What You Need to Know

Prescription drug abuse impacts nearly all aspects of society. Workers in all industries or sectors may face unique risks as injuries sustained at work are increasingly treated with powerful prescription drugs including opioids such as fentanyl (Duragesic®, Actiq®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®, Lortab®), oxycodone (OxyContin®, Percocet®), and oxymorphone (Opana®, Numorphan®). Recent workers` compensation studiesCdc-pdfExternal reveal that there is increasing use of prescription drugs in workers’ compensation claims and that narcotics account for 25% of drug costs in such claims. Work-related issues associated with increased opioid use include the potential for: (a) work-related injuries to initiate prescription drug (including opioid) use and possibly subsequent misuse; and (b) increases in worker injuries associated with use of such drugs as contributing or causative factors.1,2

CDC Resources

NIOSH Topic Pages

Center for Workers’ Compensation Studies (CWCS) Focuses on working with partners to use workers’ compensation data to improve workplace safety and health. The CWCS teams NIOSH researchers with colleagues in the public and private sectors to explore opportunities for leveraging workers’ compensation data to reduce the incidence of work-related injuries and illnesses. In addition to its efforts to prevent injuries and illnesses, the CWCS also supports workers’ compensation programs created to minimize the risk of opioid dependence among workers and maximize the ability to return to work safely.

State Efforts to Address Opioid Use in Workers’ Compensation Systems

Many states have taken steps to address opioid use in their workers’ compensation systems by limiting opioid availability, educating health care providers on responsible opioid prescribing, and increasing awareness among injured workers. Examples of State opioid prescribing policies, protocols, and guidelines are listed here. Please note that inclusion on this list does not convey CDC endorsement.